FAIRFIELD -- The pain was still fresh, the grieving process just beginning when Sacred Heart athletic director Bobby Valentine made a suggestion that almost immediately rallied the entire Pioneer athletic family.

Longtime and recently retired athletic director Don Cook was dealing with the heartbreaking loss of his son, Christopher, to cancer, and the grief that Cook was feeling had to be close to unbearable. So Valentine wanted to make sure that Cook wasn't alone in dealing with this sadness. Cook's pain was SHU's pain, and rather than mourn a loss, Valentine wanted to celebrate a life.

For some time now, Valentine has been a spokesperson -- and a rider -- for the CT Challenge bicycle ride. The bike ride funds the Challenge's Center for Survivorship in Southport that provides support services and nutrition and exercise education for cancer survivors.

Last fall, during a brief time before Chris Cook's cancer returned, Valentine would go to the Center for Survivorship in Southport and take part in the wellness programs. So why not honor Chris Cook's life by raising money and volunteering at the upcoming 10th annual Challenge ride, set for Friday and Saturday? And that's just what the Pioneers are doing.

"After Christopher's passing, it seemed to be a natural fit to get a group from Sacred Heart University and we ride in the CT Challenge," Valentine said. "We want to give honor to those that have survived and also to Christopher, whose memory will live on."

Cook was just 48 years old when cancer took him on April 14. He was a vice president and general manager at Hitachi Capital America in Norwalk, and he enjoyed photography and especially fishing. He played baseball at Fairfield University from 1985-88, posting a career .320 batting average, which is the 14th highest in school history. His career on-base percentage of .436 is sixth best overall. He continued playing baseball with the New Canaan Senior Baseball League with the Cannons until 2012, when doctors first discovered a tumor on his tonsil.

"It was 34 days of radiation and intervals of chemo," Don Cook said. "And he got to the other side of it. In fact, the following September (2013), he was declared cancer-free. It was during that time that he went to the Center for Survivorship and got support from the group. He did that for a little while."

But then, doctors discovered another tumor near his esophagus.

"They removed it robotically but they discovered more `suspicious' cells, and whenever you hear that word `suspicious,' you know what that means," Cook said. "From there, unfortunately, he went downhill. But he got a lot of joy and self-satisfaction in going down there (to the Center for Survivorship)."

The day Cook died happened to be Tiana Williams' birthday. She had been on the job just one week as SHU's Director of Promotions, Game-Day Operations and Event Management when Valentine mentioned the Challenge. Williams jumped in with both feet.

"This was something that was right up my alley," she said. "We felt this would be a perfect opportunity to do something. Hearing (Chris') story and knowing how much the entire Sacred Heart community loves Don and his family, this would be a great idea to get everyone involved.

"A lot of people were grieving -- `How can we show our support?' -- and Bobby mentioned that the CT Challenge was an organization that Chris attended and it helped him mentally, so it made perfect sense to jump in and raise money for the Challenge."

"When I was first contacted about this," Don Cook said, "they asked me if I would mind if they did this in Christopher's name, and I was absolutely honored and thrilled that they would even think to do that. This is so special. I've really been touched by everything."

The Pioneers set a goal of raising $10,000 and are already close to $9,000 in pledges, according to Williams. There are close to two dozen "virtual" riders working to raise money, along with several actual riders -- including Valentine, who is slated to ride 25 miles, and Pioneers wrestling coach Andy Lausier, who is biking 100 miles.

Even Cook himself is going to ride the 10-mile loop, using Chris' bike and helmet.

"My daughter-in-law (Camilla) suggested that I take Chris' bike," Cook said. "It's a great way to stay close to him so that's what I'm going to do."

There is also going to be a "Team SHU Rest Stop" somewhere along the route, with upwards of 25 volunteers helping the estimated 600 to 700 riders that will be biking the course. They will wear matching T-Shirts designed by a friend of Chris' to show their support and honor his memory.

"Don has been such a big part of our athletic family here," Valentine said. "Just to be associated with Don brings out the best in all of us."